Rostyslaw Ratycz, 1930-2016

Edison, NJ – Rostyslaw Ratycz peacefully passed on September 23rd at the age of 86; he is survived by his wife Helen and their children: Nadia, Roman with wife Olesia and children Mykola and Anya, Christina, Natalia Czernyk with husband Ihor and children Julianna, Katherine and John; niece Daria and nephew Jaroslaw; and extended family in the US, Canada and Ukraine.

Rostyslaw Ratycz was born January 19, 1930 in Rohatyn, Ukraine, grew up and was educated in Berezhany until 1944, when his family left for Bayreuth, Germany where he attended middle/high school or known as "Gymnasia" at the displaced persons camp.  His family immigrated to the United States in 1949 when he was 19 years old and settled in Edison, NJ.

Rostyslaw began his studies in higher education at Rutgers University and then joined the army; he served on active duty from 1952-1954 in the US Army Corps of Engineers. Corporal Ratycz was honorably discharged from US Army Reserve in 1960. He returned to complete his bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Fairleigh Dickinson University. Rostyslaw Ratycz was a dedicated, lifetime electrical engineer, working in aerospace, including space shuttle projects for Bendix/Allied Signal, now Honeywell.

He married Helen Hyra in 1966 and they were blessed with 4 children. Rostyslaw continued to serve his community by teaching at the Ukrainian Saturday school and a leader in Plast Ukrainian Scouting Organization New Brunswick branch.  He continued to maintain ties with his teenage friends from the Bayreuth Gymnasia, organized annual reunions and was president of the organizing committee.